Thunder Demigod
by greenangel77
Summary: new demigod Adelphie manages to make it to Camp Half-Blood, and has her life turned upside down by it. This story details hew new life as a child of a god and her dangerous quest
1. Chapter 1

Adelphie crossed the border of Camp Half-Blood, her face covered in dirt and her clothes ripped and tattered. Tired and dizzy, she stumbled down Half-Blood Hill, clutching a piece of paper in her hand.

Chiron saw her from the Big House and immediately hurried out to her. "Child, are you all right?" he asked her, concerned.

"I guess," Adelphie answered. "Where am I? Am I at Camp Half-Blood? Cuz I was told to come here. . . I've been trying to get here for _days_. . . . Just tell me I made it."

"Yes, this is Camp Half-Blood," Chiron answered. "Where did you come from? What happened to you?"

By now, a large crowd had gathered around the girl and the centaur. She looked around at curious faces before finding the voice to answer. "St. Genevieve High School in Manhattan, that's where I came from. Some freaky monsters just showed up and blew the place up. They were after me, I knew it. So I ran."

Chiron sensed she was uncomfortable under the stares of all the campers and said, "Why don't we go talk in the Main House? It will be more private."

Adelphie followed him down the hill, unfazed by the fact that she was following a centaur. All around her, people were running around her with swords and javelins, bows and arrows, all looking like they were enjoying themselves. The strangeness of Camp Half-Blood didn't bother her; after what she had seen at school, nothing could surprise her anymore.

Adelphie sat down at the table, prompted by Chiron. "Um, what's your name?" she asked. "I'm Adelphie."

"My name is Chiron," he said. "This is Camp Half-Blood, a place for children of a mortal and a god. Do you know who your godly parent is?"

"My _what_?" Adelphie said. "I have a god for a parent? How can that _be_? They're not real, the gods! I only have my mother, and she's probably going to flip out when I don't come home. . ."

Chiron sighed. It seemed he had a lot of explaining to do. He told Adelphie all about the Greek gods, how they were alive and well and having children with the mortals of earth. He explained to her about the different cabins, different activities, and people of interest at camp. Adelphie absorbed every word, shocked to find herself believing what Chiron told her. Somehow, it all made sense.

"Tell me, Adelphie, how did you know to come here if you knew nothing about the gods?" Chiron asked.

"Some message floated down on this piece of paper," Adelphie said, holding out the paper. "It said to come to Camp Half-Blood and the address. So that's how I got here."

Chiron looked at the paper. "You can read this?"

"No, it took me _hours _to figure it out. I had to ask someone to help me."

"And this message just appeared to you?"

"Yeah. Strange, isn't it?"

"Strange indeed," Chiron said, not finding it strange at all. He walked to the door of the Big House and yelled, "Travis! Connor! Come here at once!"

Travis and Connor Stoll, sons of Hermes, ran to the centaur. "What's up?" Travis asked. "Does this have anything to do with the girl that came into camp?"

"I believe she is your sister," Chiron said. "She has not been claimed yet, a surprise for her age, but I think she is Hermes's daughter."

"So we have a new sister," Connor said. "What makes you think that?"

"A piece of paper floated down in front of her, with a _message_ to come here," Chiron said. "Hermes is the Messenger of the Gods, is he not?"

"She belongs in the Hermes cabin anyway, since she's unclaimed," Travis said. "Didn't Percy make the gods agree to claim their kids by the age of thirteen? How old is she?"

"She's fifteen," Chiron said. "Perhaps forgotten, but anyhow I think she should be taken to the cabin and given the chance to clean up. She's been through a lot in the past week."

"We'll bring her there," Connor said. "And don't worry, we won't pull any pranks along the way. Any sister of ours is treated with respect."

Chiron smiled and returned to Adelphie, who was still sitting at the table. "Adelphie, I would like you to meet Travis and Connor Stoll. They will show you to the Hermes Cabin, where you will be bunking until we figure out who your father is."

"Good afternoon, Adelphie!" the boys said in unison. "Follow us, if you will."

"Go on," Chiron prompted. "They're good boys." For the most part.

Adelphie trailed behind the boys, just wishing to take a shower and maybe even a nap. So much had happened; she needed a good sleep.

"So, how do you like our fair camp?" Travis asked, eying the pretty girl.

"It's okay, I guess," Adelphie answered. "You guys are sons of Hermes?"

"Yes we are," Connor said. "Our cabin is the best; you'll be good there."

"You might even turn out to be our sister," Travis added. "Wouldn't that be cool?"

"I guess," Adelphie said again. These boys seemed far too hyper to her, and she wasn't particularly interested in learning she had a whole family of people.

"I'm offended," Connor said. "A pretty girl like you as our sister? You'd complement our good looks."

Egocentric twits, Adelphie thought. Isn't there a normal person at this camp?

The three arrived at the cabin, which was, for once, empty. Though unclaimed demigods were rare nowadays, there were still many children that resided in the cabin.

"So this is where you'll be staying for awhile," Travis said. "Connor, go get her a shirt and pants. Look at her clothes; she needs new ones."

"I'll be back in five minutes, you two," Connor said. Adelphie rolled her eyes. She wasn't letting anyone near her.

Travis, too, rolled his eyes at his twin's remark. "Ignore him. I've got no intention of going out with you or anything beyond that. Not that you're not pretty or anything," he added quickly.

"I wouldn't have let you anyway," she replied. "Which bed is mine? I want to go to sleep."

"All the way in the back here," he said, leading her to a set of bunk beds. "You get your choice of top or bottom bunk."

Despite being in a skirt, Adelphie climbed up to the top bunk and sat with her legs hanging off the edge. She would have laid down, but that would be rude and she _was_ in a skirt.

"So, what happened to you?" Travis asked. "Do all girls go around wearing skirts and vests?"

"It's my school uniform," Adelphie said. "I was attacked at school. I didn't feel like breaking into a department store to steal a change of clothes."

"I would have," he said. Adelphie gave him a strange look. She wasn't thrilled about being alone with a now-confessed thief.

"Tell me now," Adelphie said, "in case you end up being my brother: are you and your brother thieves or jokers or troublemakers?"

"We're all of the above," he replied. "Most of us in here are. But when we need to, we can behave and come through for the camp."

"Nice to know," she sighed. "Is anyone going to pull something on me because I'm new?"

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I'm counselor for the cabin; my word is law. No one is going to hurt a potential sister."

"Okay then," she said. "You sound optimistic about me being a daughter of Hermes."

"There's a pretty good chance you are. Trying to warm you up to us and the cabin if you turn out to be one, you know?"

"A for effort."

"You can say that like you mean it."

"I'm just not ready to have my life flipped upside down. This is about as much as I can stomach." She put her head on her pillow and swung her legs onto the bed, ready to sleep. "Where's your brother? He said five minutes."

"You don't want to be alone with me?" Travis teased.

"I want to take a nap," Adelphie said. "Nothing against you or Connor, but I haven't slept well since last week."

"Well, he'll bring you pajamas and toiletries and all that stuff, too, if you want any of that before you crash."

"He's got two minutes before I fall asleep."

"How's it going in here?" Connor said as he returned to the cabin, arms stuffed with things for Adelphie. "Whoa, girl on the bed!"

Travis kicked his twin. "Shut up, bro, she wants to get some sleep."

"Sorry," Connor said. "Adelphie, here's some clothes and cleanly stuff for you. If you need anything else, you can ask me."

"I'd rather ask your brother," Adelphie said. "Thank you, you guys."

"Sleep well, Adelphie," Travis said. "We'll see you at dinner."

Adelphie didn't answer; she was sound asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"How's Adelphie doing?" Chiron asked, interrupting the twins' archery practice.

"She's sleeping now," Travis said. "We gave her clothes and toiletries and let her be."

"She's taking everything well," Connor said. "It's weird how well she's handling things."

"Don't judge a book by its cover," Chiron said. "This is difficult for everyone; she might not let on how confused, afraid, and uncomfortable she really is. Be good to her, will you? Find someone nice in the cabin to help her, maybe befriend her."

"I'll take care of it," Travis promised. Adelphie had grown on him quickly.

"Why do you get dibs on the girl?" Connor teased. "Someone has a crush!" he said in a singsong voice.

"Oh shut it," Travis said. "I have no crush on Adelphie. It's a family thing, considering the fact that she's most likely our sister."

"Oh don't go all fraternal on us, Trav," Connor said. "You know you're hoping she's some other god's kid, cuz you know you want her."

"It's weird how you know how I feel when _I _don't," Travis snapped. "Let's go, we've got archery practice."

Adelphie lay in bed after a shower, thinking about the day's events. She'd finally arrived at Camp Half-Blood, she'd be given a bed to sleep and privacy to deal with the fact that her life would never be the same again. _I have a father,_ she thought. _My dad is a Greek god. I'm half a god! Wow, this is one strange world. _

Adelphie glanced at the clock: 6:30. She figured dinner would be starting now, but she didn't feel like eating. She just wanted to be left alone.

Deciding she needed some fresh air, Adelphie sat on the cabin steps and stared off into the distance. So much new in her life: new home, new dad, new friends, new _everything_. _Might as well get used to it now,_ she thought.

"You okay?" A voice asked, waking Adelphie from her thoughts. She turned to see Travis standing beside her.

"I don't know," she said, staring back at the camp. "What are you doing here? Isn't it dinner time?"

"I came to check on you," he said. "You know, see if you're awake and want dinner."

"You can go," she said. "I'm not hungry."

"Neither am I," he said, though his stomach grumbled quietly. "Do you want to be alone?"

"Honestly, I don't know," she said. "I don't know about anything anymore."

Travis sat down next to her. "Things will be ok, you know," he said. "It's hard on everyone at first. But you'll get used to it, and you'll come to love it here."

"It's just so strange," she said. "I was used to it being just me and my mom. No mention of a father. I was just a normal girl. But then this freak monster shows up, burns down my school, and sends me on the run. Now, I find out I'm half-mortal half-god, I have a _dad_ and a whole family to go into, and there's nothing ordinary about me now. How is it going to get better?"

"I don't know how to put it, but it just does. Once you make friends and get used to having siblings and adjust to camp, it's not so bad. Camp is the best home I have."

"I guess I just never expected any of this to happen."

"No one does, Adelphie. No one."

"Is it even safe for me anymore? Will I be able to go home and try to resume my life, or will I have to stay here forever because I'm too much of a threat to the world?"

"Camp is here to train you, so you can defend yourself and go back out into the world and stay safe. It's not like you have to stay here forever. Life will get normal again."

"Really?"

"I swear it on my life."

Adelphie smiled at Travis, and he smiled back at her. The thought that things could—would—go back to normal was enough to make her feel better.

"For what it's worth, you seem to be handling things pretty well," he said. "Much better than others."

"Obviously you can't see the internal turmoil my stomach is in."

"I'm sure dinner will calm your stomach. We're having pizza tonight. Sure you want to pass that up?"

"I _am_ a little hungry," she laughed. "Lead the way; I have no idea where I'm going."

"Let's go," he said.

"Travis?"

He stopped and turned around to look at her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." With another smile at Adelphie, he continued leading her to dinner.

"There you are!" Connor said when he saw Travis and Adelphie sit down to eat. "What took you so long?"

"Oh, just shut it," Travis said. To the table, crowded with the other children of Hermes, he announced, "Guys, this is Adelphie, our new camper/potential sister! Make her feel welcome, 'kay?"

Immediately, Adelphie was bombarded with "HI!" and "Hey!" and "Welcome to camp!". She blushed, embarrassed by all the attention.

"See, they like you already," Travis laughed.

"You still seem optimistic that I'm your sister."

"We'd love nothing more than a beautiful addition to our cabin," Connor interjected. "I'd say you belong in Aphrodite's cabin, but your mother's a mortal."

"Are you sure he's your twin?" Adelphie asked Travis. "He seems obnoxious and flirtatious while you're nicer and calmer."

"I know when to behave," Travis said. "I'm usually like him."

"I can totally see myself fitting into the cabin," she laughed. "All the tricksters and pranksters and me, the rule-abiding one."

"So now you think you're my sister?" he teased.

"You keep saying I probably am! It almost seems definite."

Chiron watched Adelphie from the head table. He was pleased to find her smiling and laughing with both of the Stoll twins, particularly Travis. He knew he had been right to leave her with them.

"She the new half-blood, the girl with the brunette ringlets?" Mr. D, the camp director, asked with a groan. In truth, he was the Greek god Dionysius, and he was not particularly fond of demigod children. His sentence as director of camp was nearing its end (only twenty more years to go), and he did not want many new children around to make it any worse than it already was.

"Yes, that's Adelphie Cameron," Chiron answered. "She's still unclaimed, but I'm almost positive she's a daughter of Hermes."

"Another punk at camp, just what we need," Mr. D sighed. "Those Stoll kids are going to corrupt her even more."

"She'll be okay," Chiron said. "Don't go writing her off yet."

After dinner, the whole camp gathered around a fire (dedicated to Hestia, goddess of the hearth) for camp sing-along. Adelphie found herself squished between Travis and Connor right up front.

"I don't know any of these songs!" Adelphie whispered to Travis.

"You'll catch on fast," Travis said. "They're not hard songs."

Before she knew it, Adelphie was singing as loud as she could along with the rest of camp, laughing at how ridiculous the songs were but enjoying herself nonetheless. Despite getting off to a bad start, camp didn't seem so bad to her now.

A thunderstorm had started at the end of the sing-along. Everyone was milling around the fire, not ready to go back to their cabins just yet.

"Shouldn't we go back?" Adelphie asked. Connor smirked.

"This place has some enchantment on it, so no weather gets in unless we let it. You're perfectly fine," he said.

"I like thunderstorms," she said. "It's fun to watch lightning streak across the sky."

Just then, a lightning bolt struck down inches away from Adelphie. Everyone had jumped back, except for her. For some reason, the bolt hadn't frightened her.

Another struck down, followed by another, and one after that. The series of bolts continued, etching a circle in the ground around Adelphie, who hadn't moved. Campers, officials, wood nymphs, satyrs, and every other creature under the sun stared at her, watching her remain still and calm as lightning nearly missed her with every strike.

"Does this happen often?" Adelphie asked Travis, who was five feet away from her. The lightning had finally stopped.

"No, this doesn't," he answered, transfixed by the faint yellow glow around the newest camper. An image of a lightning bolt appeared above her head. "Adelphie, you're not my sister."


	3. Chapter 3

"You're a daughter of Zeus," Chiron said, in deep shock. "Everyone, back to your cabins!" He yelled to the camp. As they made their way to bed, Chiron led Adelphie to the Big House.

"I'm a daughter of Zeus?" Adelphie said once they were inside.

"Oh, goodie, a child of the Big Three," Mr. D said sarcastically. "Like we don't have enough of those around here."

"I thought you said that Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades had made an agreement not to have any more children," Adelphie said to Chiron. "If that's true, why am I alive?"

"The gods often go back on promises," Chiron said disdainfully. He had certainly not expected the girl to be a daughter of _Zeus_. "Poseidon had Percy Jackson, Hades had Nico and Bianca di Angelo, and Zeus had Thalia and Jason Grace. Thalia, your half-sister, is now a Huntress of Artemis. Jason, your half-brother, is the son of Zeus as his Roman persona. You, child, are a very special demigod."

"I have a sister and brother?" Adelphie asked. The thought of just two new siblings was much better compared to the whole Hermes cabin.

Chiron nodded. "And two cousins as well. Percy and Nico should be back from their quest soon. They'd be delighted to meet you."

"I have a family," Adelphie muttered to herself. Her stomach began doing flips again. The thought of being Hermes's daughter had been so definite in the few hours she had been at camp. Now, she was learning her father was much more important, and she had half-siblings and half-cousins.

"I know everything has been so sudden," Chiron said. "Highly unexpected, right? I suggest you get a good night's sleep, Adelphie, and forget this for the night. You can think of it in the morning, when you're more alert."

"I'll get my stuff and move, then," Adelphie said. "Thanks for explaining this all to me." She ran to the Hermes cabin, where everyone was shockingly asleep. Obviously, Connor and Travis had told them to go asleep and leave her alone.

To her surprise, Travis was sitting on her (former) bunk, her things in a neat pile next to him. "I thought you'd come get your stuff and move to your new cabin. Figured I'd just make it a little easier for you to go."

"Will you walk with me?" Adelphie asked. "It's dark, and I don't remember which cabin is Zeus's." She couldn't bring herself to say "mine".

Travis handed her her things and soundlessly jumped off the bunk. Together, they walked out of the cabin.

"Guess we're not siblings after all," she said.

"Guess not," he said. "But hey, that's pretty cool, you're Zeus's daughter. You get a cabin all to yourself."

"And two half-siblings and two half-cousins," she said.

"Better than everyone in the Hermes cabin, right?" he said, trying to make her laugh. "A small family is easier to get used to. And besides, Percy and Nico are really cool. Legends here at camp."

"Chiron told me when I got here," she said. "I guess you're right. I'm just trying to put this all off till the morning. Get a good night's sleep, as Chiron told me."

"That's probably best," he said. By now, they had arrived outside the cabin. "Here's your new home."

"Thanks for walking with me," she said. "I just got here today and you've been so nice to me."

"I've got my sister's back," he said. "Even though we're not siblings, just know you can talk to me and stuff if you want to."

"I will," she said. "What time is breakfast again? I don't want to be late."

"8:00," he answered. "Want me to meet you?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

"I'll see you in the morning, then, Adelphie. Sleep well."

"You, too," she said. "And thank you for _everything_."

"Anytime," he replied. He watched her walk into her cabin and close the door. Despite having just met that day, both of them knew they were already, and would be, close friends.

"Oh la la, someone's got a date with Adelphie!" Connor teased the next morning as Travis prepared to meet her for breakfast.

"Good thing she's not our sister!" Hailey, a twelve-year-old, added.

"Shut it!" Travis said. "It's _not _a date. She is new and confused and wants a friend."

"A _boy_friend!" Connor added.

"Is it wrong to want to take care of a new camper?" Travis sighed.

"No, not at all," Connor said. "But when have you ever been so helpful to our new siblings? And this girl happens to be rather pretty, does she not? I mean, she showed up _in a skirt_. All the dirt on her face brought out the brightness of her eyes, her hair was still in perfect ringlets, she opened up to you. . . nothing like a helpless little girl to pull on your heartstrings, bro."

"Give it up," Travis said. "I don't like her. I just want to be her friend. And I'm glad _you _took notice of her eyes and clothes, because all I saw was a girl that needed a friend."

He walked out of the cabin towards Zeus's cabin. Sometimes he wondered how he was the prankster of his cabin. So he was being nice to a girl that just so happened to be pretty. That didn't mean he's into her.

Travis knocked on the door. "Come in!" A voice said from inside. He opened the door to see Adelphie putting a necklace on. "Morning, Travis," she said.

"Morning, Adelphie," he replied. "How are you?"

"Can't complain," she said. "I've been thinking a lot."

The two walked out of the cabin and headed for breakfast. "How's the whole 'I have a Greek god for a dad and siblings and cousins' thing going?"

"It's okay," she said. "I'm kind of looking forward to meeting them. Spending the night alone gave me a lot of time to think. I decided if I'm going to be here, I might as well get used to it and find ways to enjoy it. And it is pretty cool being a daughter of the _Big Three_."

"That's a nice outlook. It's your second day here and you've got such an open mind."

"My mother always said, 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'"

"Thanks for joining!"

Adelphie laughed. "You're welcome!"

Chiron watched her from the Big House, her two cousins behind him. "So, that girl with Travis is Zeus's newest daughter?" Percy asked. "She seems much nicer than Thalia." He smirked. He and Thalia were on great terms nowadays.

"She's pretty," Nico added. "She fits the family well."

"Do we have to abide by table rules?" Percy asked. "I mean, it's pretty stupid. Me alone at my table, Nico alone at his, and Adelphie alone at hers. We're a happy family, Chiron. Let us sit together?"

"Go ahead," Chiron said. Percy and Nico went outside to meet their new cousin.

"Oh, Adelphie, we can't sit together," Travis said as they arrived at the tables. "We have to sit according to cabin, and Mr. D's really strict about it. . ."

"So I have to eat by myself?" Adelphie sighed.

"And your activities are by cabin, too, so. . ."

"Maybe a lot of siblings aren't such a bad thing."

"You'll be fine. It's better that way for some things, like archery and swords practice. I'm sure Percy and Nico would have activities with you. Chiron would let them. Three kids of the Big Three having activities together. Isn't that cool?"

"Yeah, I guess," Adelphie sighed. "Good times for family bonding."

"You won't be alone for long," Travis promised. "I'll see you around, and I'm sure you'll make plenty of friends soon enough."

"Adelphie?" A voice said. The girl turned to see two boys, one nineteen, the other fourteen, walk towards her. Travis greeted them with, "Hey, Percy, Nico. I guess you know about Adelphie?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "Adelphie, I am Percy, and this here is Nico. We are your new cousins."

"Nice to meet you," Adelphie said, unsure of what exactly _to _say.

"Do you want to have breakfast with us?" Nico asked. "Chiron said we could, since the three of us would end up eating alone."

Adelphie turned to Travis and mouthed, "That was fast." He nodded at her to tell her, "Go on!" Adelphie turned back to her cousins and said, "Yeah, sure."

"We'll sit at your table," Percy said. The three got breakfast and sat down. "So, how do you like Camp Half-Blood?"

"It's okay," Adelphie said. "Travis tells me I got used to everything much faster than most demigods. This is my second day here."

"Chiron told us," Nico said. "He said the same thing, you adjusted well. By the looks of it, you did. Boyfriend already?"

"Travis isn't my boyfriend!" Adelphie said. "He's just a very nice friend."

"It's good to make a friend early on. My first friend here was from the Hermes cabin, too," Percy said, though he looked sad. Luke had been both a friend and enemy to him.

"So, what are we doing today?" Nico asked, quick to change the subject. "We can do all our activities together, you know. Cabin heads pick their activities and all that."

"Well, what's there to do?" Adelphie asked. Percy and Nico looked at her.

"A _lot_," Percy said. "There's all sorts of training for you to do. We should go to the armory and get you a sword and shield, first. Then, I'll teach you how to sword fight. We can take it from there, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Adelphie said. "Just so you know, I probably won't be very good."

"We have the whole day to train you," Nico said. "Percy's a great teacher; you'll catch on fast."

"I hope," Adelphie said.

After breakfast, Adelphie followed her cousins to the armory, where they found her a sword to use for training and a shield she could just manage to hold up. "You'll get used to it all," Nico assured her. "It's all necessary."

Percy was eager to get to the arena, where all swords fighting was held. To her relief, Adelphie found the arena empty. She didn't want people watching her make a fool out of herself.

"Um, Percy, do we _have _to do this?" she asked.

"If you want to be able to go home and survive, you need to be able to fight. Every demigod, especially a child of the Big Three, has to know how to take down a monster," Percy said. "You and me and Nico, we're all at greater risk than others because of our dads. I'm sure you were attacked a lot on your way here."

"One monster every two miles," Adelphie confirmed. "It was so hard getting away; I had nothing to fight with."

"Zeus must really have been watching over you, then," Nico said. "If he didn't give you some sort of weapon. . . No wonder everyone thought you were Hermes's kid. Stealthy little girl, aren't you?"

"Not really," Adelphie said. "Can we just get this over with? If I'm going to make an idiot of myself, might as well start now."

"You'll do fine, Adelphie," Percy promised. He began teaching her the basics, parries and thrusts. Adelphie could tell he was going easy on her, and she knew he wanted to go all out. She simply wasn't ready.

After an hour, the two of them were drenched in sweat. Percy was working Adelphie hard.

Adelphie sat down on one of the many seats. "How am I doing?" she asked.

"For your first time, pretty well," Nico said. "Hey, Percy, didn't you start off pretty well yourself?"

"You, too," Percy reminded him. "Must be a family thing, then. Don't be discouraged, Adelphie. The sword wasn't made for you; it's not balanced properly. We'll get you a good one eventually. Maybe your dad will send you some sort of weapon."

"I won't get my hopes up," Adelphie said. "Let's go on, okay? Maybe a little while longer, and we can do something else."

Nico stepped up to teach Adelphie now. He was hesitant to hurt her, but he did get a few strikes in. Adelphie mostly dodged and parried the swipes; she was having a hard time striking Nico.

They gave it another hour before moving on to archery, which Adelphie found much better than sword fighting. While she wasn't brilliant, each arrow she shot made a mark. Percy and Nico, on the other hand, sent arrows flying in all directions. After that, the boys took their cousin to the obstacle course, which included real lava. With a few burns each, they decided to relax canoeing on the lake. By the time they finished, it was an hour till dinner.

"I'm exhausted," Adelphie said as they walked to Percy's cabin. She was quite sore as well. She hadn't used her muscles this much in a very long time. "Do we just get to hang around now?"

"Well, I think your _friend_ wants to hang around with you now," Nico said, nodding his head in the direction of the Hermes cabin, where Travis stood watching. "We'll see you at dinner, okay, Adelphie?"

"Later, you guys," Adelphie said.


	4. Chapter 4

Adelphie walked over to her friend, who had a mischievous smile on his face. "What's with the look?"

"My cabin just raided Ares's," he said. "Around here, the Ares cabin isn't very popular. We completely trashed it."

"And I thought you were so nice," Adelphie teased.

"It's a Hermes thing," he said. "So, how was your first day of activities?"

"Okay, but I'm sore as heck now," she said. "There's _so _much to do here."

"Yeah, there really is," he said. "Are you getting along with your cousins well?"

"Totally. I'm _older_ than Nico, did you know? It's almost like being a middle child."

"That's what I love best about camp," he said. "Everyone here is family. All the campers are related to each other in some way. It's like a huge extended family gathering thing."

"Hang on a second," she said. "If I'm Zeus's daughter, doesn't that make me your aunt?"

"It does!" he said, just realizing it. "Do I have to call you Aunt Adelphie now?"

"I won't do that to you," she laughed. "But wow, you're my nephew!"

"See what I mean about family? It's nice here, isn't it?"

"It really is."

"I'm glad you like it. It's only your second day here and you've got such a smile on your face."

"Well, duh. I've got you, Percy, and Nico. Today was hard, but I'll get used to it in no time. It'll be AWESOME!"

Just then, a surge of yells came from the Ares cabin. Travis smirked. "No doubt, it'll be awesome."

"Do pranks happen often here?"

"From time to time. . ."

"Just do me a favor and stay out of my cabin, okay?"

"Yeah, like I'd trash a cabin of the Big Three, or my friend."

Adelphie laughed. "I know you won't."

"Same goes for you, ya know."

"Hey, I'm your aunt, show some respect!"

"You're not going to hold that against me, are you?"

"What do you think?" Adelphie smiled at her friend/nephew.

"I think I need to rally my cabin up and head over to dinner. Counselor duties call," Travis said. "I'll see you later, okay, Adelphie?"

"See you later, then," Adelphie said.

Before Adelphie knew it, her days began to follow a regular schedule: Travis would meet her at her cabin and walk with her to breakfast, she'd have sword fighting with Percy and Nico, archery with Apollo's cabin, tackle the obstacle course, canoe on the lake with her cousins or ride a horse (or Pegasus), sit with Travis before dinner, hang around with her cousins some more, and go to bed. Though each day was rather tiring, and she spent time with Travis dozing in her cabin, she was enjoying herself more than ever. She could tell she was getting in shape, and her muscles didn't hurt as much. Her sword abilities had improved greatly, as her cousin Tyson had forged her a brand-new sword, Tonnerre, on a one day trip to camp to visit Percy. Archery was also going well. Adelphie had become very good friends with Apollo's daughter, Helia. The two girls spent much time gossiping while shooting arrows at target. As Zeus's daughter, she enjoyed flying on the pegasi, especially Percy's favorite, Blackjack. Blackjack, ever-respectful to Percy, was just as kind to his master's cousin as he was to his master. Basically, Adelphie was finding camp amazing.

Three weeks after Adelphie's arrival at camp, Travis was knocking on her cabin door for breakfast. "Adelphie! Time to get up!"

"I am up, you twit!" Adelphie called from inside. Travis opened the door and went inside. "Good morning, by the way."

"Good morning, Aunty Adelphie," he said, in return for being called a twit.

"I'm too young to be an aunt," she laughed. "I'm younger than you!"

"So then I guess you should respect your elders, huh?"

Adelphie punched him lightly on the arm. "We don't want to be late for breakfast, do we?"

"After you, Adelphie," he said, holding her cabin door open for her. The two walked to the Dining Pavilion. "So, capture the flag's tonight," Travis said.

"Oh, my first capture the flag," Adelphie said. "I'm excited!"

"Hermes and Athena are captains this time around," he said. "Can we count on Zeus?"

"Duh."

"Connor and I are co-captains. You want to be on offense with us?"

"Yeah, sure. You want me to ask Percy and Nico to join us?"

"Percy's on Athena's side, cuz of Annabeth, them dating and all."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"But totally ask Nico if you want. I think we'll be okay with Zeus, Apollo, Demeter, Hades, and my own cabin."

"I can't wait! Just tell me what to do."

"I'll cover you the whole time, okay? Don't worry. We can do this."

"Any pranks involved with this?"

"Connor and I are going to set a few things up during free period today. You want to come with?"

"And join in the conspiracy? No thanks." She laughed, though. "I'll leave that to the best."

"Oh, c'mon, Adelphie, everyone thought you were my sister."

"I'll go with you on the next Ares raid," she promised. "You can show me how that works, too."

"Deal," Travis said. "I'll see you tonight, okay? Meet me at my cabin after dinner; we'll discuss strategy there and then head over for the game."

"See you later, Trav," Adelphie said. She sat down at her table, where her cousins were waiting for her.

"I guess you're on Hermes's side for capture the flag tonight," Percy said.

"And you're on Athena's," Adelphie replied. "Nico, which side are you on?"

"Undecided as of now," he answered. "But I'll probably stick with you."

"Oh, c'mon, Nico, she's been here three weeks! She's got Travis watching out for her, Helia to keep her company; she doesn't need us anymore!" Percy insisted.

"Yes I do," Adelphie said. "Who's going to keep training me? You guys are my _family_. I will always need you guys."

"Speaking of family," Nico said, "Have you called your mom at all since you got here?"

"I haven't," Adelphie suddenly realized. "I guess I've been having so much fun here, and so used to the idea of my new family, I completely forgot to tell her I'm okay. . . I'm such a horrible daughter, she must be worried out of her mind. . ."

"Calm down, cuz," Percy said. "After breakfast, we'll go back to my cabin and you can Iris-Message her."

"Okay," Adelphie said. "After breakfast, I'll talk to Mom, and then we'll do some sword fighting, and then I'll be off with Helia."

"We canoeing today?" Nico asked. "Or are you spending your free with Helia?"

"No, I'm with you guys," Adelphie said. "Helia has some activity. Besides, it's family time."

"If only Thalia was here," Percy said. "Real family time that would be."

"My half-sister, right?"

"That's her," Nico said. "She doesn't come around here often; she's a Huntress of Artemis. They hate Camp Half-Blood."

"I can't imagine why," Adelphie said with a smile. "I love it here!"

Percy and Nico laughed at their cousin's enthusiasm. She was just like them when they started camp. It must be a family thing.

After breakfast, Percy led Adelphie to the fountain in his cabin, which they would use to Iris-Message her mother.

"Tell me how this works, exactly," Adelphie said, fingering the golden drachma.

"Well, first, we need to make a rainbow," Percy said. "But there's already one. Next, you toss the coin in and say, 'Oh Goddess, accept my offering.' Then you say your mom's name and city, and behold: Message!"

Adelphie tossed the coin into the rainbow and said, "Oh Goddess, accept my offering." She waited a second and said, "Addison Cameron, Lower West Side."

Within seconds, the image of her mother appeared in the mist. "Mom?" Adelphie called.

Mrs. Cameron was startled. She looked around, then saw the image of her daughter. "Adelphie, dear, are you okay? Where are you? I heard about what happened at school, and then you never came home. . . I've been worried sick about you!"

"Mom, calm down," Adelphie said. "I'm okay. I'm at Camp Half-Blood. I made it here okay."

"So, you know who your father is now? And that you're a. . . demigod?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm just fine, though. I met a lot of people. Percy and Nico, they're here with me, they're my cousins. Say hi, you guys."

"Hello, Mrs. Cameron," Percy and Nico said.

"Have you made any friends?" Mrs. Cameron asked.

"Yeah, I have two," Adelphie answered. "Travis and Helia, they're pretty much my best friends. I see Travis before breakfast and dinner, and I have archery with Helia. . . It's really nice here, Mom."

"I'm just glad you're safe," her mother said. "Safe and happy. I was hoping nothing had attacked you and hurt you. . ."

"I was pretty beaten up when I got here," Adelphie said. "But Chiron, he's a centaur and runs all the activities, he let me sleep and all, and that night Zeus claimed me as his daughter. . . My first day was pretty rough, but I already had Travis getting me through it, and I met Percy and Nico the next day. . ."

"It sounds like you're having the time of your life, dear."

"I really am. And you know, I have a half-brother and half-sister, too. Everyone here is technically family."

"It's such a difference from being an only child, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. Chiron first thought I was a daughter of Hermes, and do you have any idea how many people there are in Hermes's cabin? That would have meant so many brothers and sisters. . . but I'm okay. The whole family thing is nice. I spend a lot of time with Percy and Nico."

"Just be careful, okay, dear? I'm relieved to know you're safe, but I'm still worried about you."

"I'll be fine," Adelphie promised. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, Adelphie," her mother replied. And with that, the chat ended.

"Do you miss your mom?" Helia asked a few hours later in archery. Adelphie had just told her about the conversation she had that morning.

"Yeah, I miss her," Adelphie said, firing an arrow. It hit the bull's-eye. "But it's not like I'm all alone here. I have you and Percy and Nico."

"And Travis," Helia teased.

"And Travis," Adelphie repeated. "He's such a good _friend_."

"Oh, c'mon, Adelphie, anyone can tell you he's hot for you. And I think you're hot for him."

"You're hot for Max from Athena's cabin, everyone knows _that_."

"But everyone's more concerned with you, oh daughter of Zeus." Helia, too, made a perfect shot. "But while we're talking about Max. . . He waved at me this morning!"

"I'm telling you, he likes you," Adelphie smiled.

"I can't be sure just yet," Helia said. "I mean, he does say hello to me when he passes me, and he compliments me on my archery skills if he happens to pass while we're here, and he and I once spent a free period talking to each other, but I still can't definitely say he likes me."

"Someone's in denial!" Adelphie teased.

"Two someones. You're in complete denial about Travis."

"I don't like Travis. He doesn't like me. He's my _friend_."

"Adelphie, the guy's head over heels for you. Ever since your first day he's been looking out for you."

"That was because he thought I was his sister. He's been my friend since day one. And that's all we are."

"The whole sister thing I can understand. But really, Adelphie, to still be so close to you after we learn you're not siblings? He looked a little happy when Zeus claimed you; it meant he could date you!"

"Yeah, like he'd really want to date me."

"Gods, Adelphie! You're a child of the Big Three, you're pretty as can be, and you two are already close friends. Total dating opportunity!"

"You and Max have a way greater shot. He's so good for you. And he totally likes you!"

The rest of archery went on with Helia and Adelphie discussing the dominant boy in the other's life. They laughed and teased like sisters, close as sisters already. Before she knew it, Adelphie was on her way to the Hermes cabin to hang out with Travis.

Of course, Travis was waiting on the cabin porch for her. It was habit now; he was always watching for her arrival.

"Someone looks excited," he said as Adelphie walked up to him.

"Capture the flag is in three hours!" she cheered. "I really can't wait! I'm just having such a good day. I talked to my mom, Percy taught me this disarming move and I mastered it, archery with Helia was fun as heck, I got over the obstacle course without a single burn and drenched Nico while we were canoeing, and now I'm here with you. Each hour that goes by brings us one hour closer to the game!"

"That's how time works, Adelphie," he teased. "I'm glad you're having such a good day."

"Me, too," she said. "Are _you_?"

"Can't complain much," he said. "Connor and I set up quite a few traps for tonight. This is going to be quite a good game."

"Just make sure I don't hit any of those traps."

"Nothing's going to hit you, I promise. I've got your back."

"This sounds like a good game. I'll guard you as best I can."

"We've got each other," he smirked. "I'm liking this Zeus-Hermes alliance."

"So am I. You can count on me for anything your cabin needs!"

"Same goes for you. This alliance is working well already."

"It really is," Adelphie said.

"Why hello, Adelphie," Connor said, coming out of the cabin. "What a surprise to find you here with my brother!"

"I know, it's something totally different, isn't it?" Adelphie laughed. "Off to set another trap or two?"

"Oh, you know me so well," he said. "Me and two of my brothers are off to set a few more trip wires. And maybe go jack up some Hephaestus swords. Would you care to join us, Adelphie?"

"I'd love to, Connor, I really would, but I'm quite comfortable where I am, and a little too tired and lazy to get up. Next time, seriously, I'll go."

"I'll let you know when next time is. For now, you just enjoy this wonderful sunset with Travis. I'll see you after dinner, Adelphie."

"Have fun!" Adelphie called. "Trav, your brother is quite a piece of work."

"I am, too, you know. We _are _twins."

"But you're tolerable. He's just a comedy show."

"I'm good for you. He's just a flirtatious twit."

"He's a twit, just like you!"

"Didn't we discuss respecting elders this morning?"

"Every demigod needs a rebellious streak, am I right?"

"Oh, Adelphie, what am I to do with you?" Travis teased, putting an arm around her in a half-hug.

"Keep me safe tonight," she laughed. "I'm going to hold you responsible if I get hurt. But no pressure!"

"And the pressure just keeps building."

"I've got all confidence in you, Trav."

"Make sure you watch my back, too, Adelphie."

"We established we've got each other, didn't we?"

"Yeah, we did. I know we do."

"Oh, I forgot to mention, Nico's playing with us tonight."

"That's great! Nico is pretty strong. He can be on defense. I'm surprised he's not with Percy."

"He wants to watch out for me, as this is my first capture the flag."

"I've already got your back. You don't trust me?" He nudged her shoulder, his arm still around her.

"I totally trust you. Percy and Nico both are just looking out for me. We're pretty close already."

"Just like you and me. We've been best friends since your first day, haven't we?"

"Yeah, we really have," she said. "I couldn't have asked for a better best friend." She put her arm around him to return the half-hug.

From the porch of the Hades cabin, Percy and Nico watched their cousin, who seemed quite comfortable with Travis's arm around her.

"She's doing pretty well, isn't she?" Nico said. "She's got two friends that she's really close to, and us. . . She's gotten really good with that sword of hers, too. I'm afraid for the enemy at capture the flag tonight."

"It's like she was made for Camp Half-Blood," Percy laughed. "Again, it's like a family thing. I'm so proud, she's following in my footsteps."

"I'm part of this family, too, you know," Nico laughed. "She's like me, too. She gets through the obstacle course one-two-three. And her fighting style is more like mine than yours."

"We should take her to Olympus one day," Percy mused. "I'd like to see my dad, and Zeus should really want to see her. . . Poseidon would love to meet his niece."

"Zeus and Hades weren't so fond of meeting their nephew," Nico teased.

"Poseidon was pretty good about you, wasn't he?"

"I guess Poseidon would like to meet that pretty little cousin of ours," Nico said. "But I think we're going to have a hard time getting her away from Travis. Look at them! I think he's going to be so mad to let her go."

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Percy said.

"You and Annabeth are going to be figuring that out pretty soon, aren't you?"

"NICO!" Percy yelled, though he knew Nico was teasing. "Annabeth and I aren't _that_ serious."

"But you will be," Nico predicted. "Oh, look, they're getting up; time to go to dinner."

Percy and Nico smirked; they usually got up for dinner when Travis and Adelphie did. Watching their cousin adjust to camp and be with her friends was amusing enough. They followed Travis and Adelphie, who were now arm in arm, down to the Dining Pavilion.


	5. Chapter 5

"Okay, guys, listen up!" Travis and Connor yelled from atop Adelphie's former bunk after dinner. She was sitting in between them, an honorary member of the Hermes Planning Committee.

"As you all know, tonight is the long-awaited capture the flag!" Connor yelled. "We are proud to announce that we have Apollo, Demeter, Hades, and the lovely lady of Zeus behind us tonight!" The cabin cheered.

"While it may seem bad that we are against the combination of Hephaestus, Athena and Ares, who are being helped by Poseidon, they have the rather-large children of Aphrodite, who are no threat whatsoever. We may be outnumbered, but we have stealth and skill on our team!"

"Besides, quite a number of trip wires have been set up for the enemy," Connor said, proceeding to tell the cabin of the location of the wires. "Tonight, we're going for a distraction and then swarming in for the flag. Our offense: the Apollo archers, showering the flag guards with arrows. Travis and Adelphie are a duo tonight. I'll run in for the flag and pass it off to them at the boundary. Anyone going to be my cover?" A number of kids volunteered. "Charlie, follow me then. I need backup in case I can't reach the flag. Hailey, you guard Greg. The Apollo cabin is going to be on remaining offense. Nico of the Hades cabin is going to be leading the defense tonight. Demeter and those without assignments in here are to be on defense. We need a big defense tonight. Our small, elite offense will bring us to victory. Everyone good with our plan?"

The cabin all cheered in agreement. Everyone set about finding their shields and weapons. Travis, Adelphie, and Connor, ready to go, watched in excitement.

"So, Adelphie, who's guarding who tonight?" Connor asked.

"We're guarding each other," Adelphie said. "Zeus has formed an alliance with Hermes."

"We're bringing enemy offense down," Travis said. "They're not going to know what hit them."

"Oh yes, the outstanding duo of Travis Stoll and Adelphie Cameron—great looks and strength. I'm cowering just by being next to you."

"Be not afraid," Adelphie laughed. "We're going to DOMINATE tonight!"

"Someone's awfully enthused," Travis said.

"This whole cabin is enthused, and positive attitudes are contagious," Adelphie mused. "Who needs Ares or Athena? We're brilliant enough."

"Oh, young teenagers in infatuation," Connor teased.

"Who said anything about infatuation?" Travis asked. "Adelphie and I are best friends."

"Keep your words to yourself," Adelphie added. "Best friends look out for each other. Helia and I are watching each other so we have stuff to talk about tomorrow."

"Make sure you watch me," Travis said.

"I'm sure you find him much better looking than Helia," Connor laughed.

"Hey, he's better looking than you!" Adelphie teased, giving Connor a shove.

"We're _identical_, silly," Connor laughed, shoving her back.

"Guys, it's time to go," Travis said. "Let's go kick some butt!"

The group began walking to the Big House, where they were meeting up with Apollo and Demeter. Nico noticed the Hermes children file out of their cabin and wasn't surprised to see his younger cousin walking with them, smiling in between the Stoll brothers. He waved to her, hoping to grab her attention. He did, and she ran over to him.

"Hey, Nico!" Adelphie said, excitement clear in her voice. "Are you ready for tonight?"

"Bring it on," Nico replied, his cousin's enthusiasm contagious. "I see you were part of planning for tonight."

"I'm part of the 'elite offense', quite an honor for a first-timer," she said. "You're head of defense."

"Good to know," he said. "What's the plan?"

"Apollo is our offense and they're going to distract the enemy. Connor is going to sneak in and grab the flag, then pass it off to Travis and me at the boundary line. Hailey and Greg are backup in case Connor can't get the flag. Everyone else is defense."

"That's a pretty good plan," Nico said. "I would imagine the Hermes kids set up a lot of traps, didn't they?"

"You know it," Adelphie laughed. "I have to be careful not to hit any of them."

"Travis will make sure you won't get hurt. He's your guard, right?"

"I'm his guard, too. We're a duo tonight."

"And you complained about sword practice," Nico teased. "How does Helia fit into this scheme? You defending her, too?"

"We're going to try and watch out for each other. She's on offense with the other archers."

"You're very well protected, missie."

"I know. And thank you for siding with me tonight." Adelphie gave her cousin a hug.

"Any time, Adelphie. Maybe next time we'll get Percy, too."

"Percy has to side with Hermes. I've sworn myself to alliance with Hermes."

"I'm sure we can sway him."

"Yeah, you and me, we can sway Seaweed Brain."

"Seaweed Brain?"

"That's our nickname for Percy. Annabeth started calling him that, and she's the only one who can get away with it. He calls me Death Child."

"_Death Child_?"

"Yeah, Percy's no good with nicknames. Believe me, he's been trying to find one for you."

"Something tells me I won't like what he comes up with."

"You probably won't."

The two laughed. Adelphie couldn't help but feel happy that she had met her cousins. Having a family, seeing them every day. . . it was much different than being an only child, but it was a god different. She felt as if she had known her cousins her whole life, and Helia and Travis. . . her two very best friends in the whole world. Camp was simply amazing.

Before anybody knew it, it was twenty minutes into capture the flag. Travis and Adelphie were hiding out in the forest, waiting for Connor to bring them the flag. As far as they knew, their plan was going quite well.

"I'm almost disappointed," Travis said. "No one's attacked us yet!"

"It's the stealth in our genes," Adelphie said. "No one's going to find us."

Out of nowhere, Hailey appeared. "Connor's got the flag," she reported. "He's going to pass it off to Greg; too many people to bring it directly to you. Connor said to head to the other end of the field, across the boundary line. Greg will pass the flag off to you guys there."

"Aren't you Greg's cover?" Adelphie asked.

"Charlie switched over to him so I could run the message to you," Hailey answered. "I'm supposed to go find Connor now. Good luck, you too."

"You jinxed us!" Adelphie laughed. "Now we're heading right into the brunt of it!"

"I've heard you're decent with your sword," Travis said, eying her celestial bronze weapon. "If I was on the enemy's side, I'd be afraid. You're like Percy with that."

"Let's just hope we don't run _into_ Percy," she said. "He could totally take us down."

"Let's just get to where we're supposed to be. If we're lucky, Greg should be there soon."

The two left their hiding place in the trees and ran across the field, avoiding any enemy they saw. They were pleased to find that many people from Ares and Athena's cabins had been caught in the traps Connor had set. Finally, they reached their meeting point.

"There they are!" an Aphrodite daughter yelled. "Travis and Adelphie! Get them!"

A few Ares children hurried to the duo, whose swords were already raised for fight. "Here goes nothing," Travis said.

The two stood back to back, fending off the attackers. Travis was busy dealing with two strong boys, both armed with long swords. Each thrust he made was quickly parried. He could not find an opportunity to strike, and soon found himself trying very hard to defend himself, all the while concerned about Adelphie.

Adelphie was busy herself. Two boys were on her as well, yet she was holding up better than Travis was. All her training with Percy had paid off. After each parry she managed to quickly retaliate with a strike of her own, many of which made their mark. Though covered in sweat, she continued to fight harder and harder. Eventually, they were bloody enough to need a medic. As they ran away, she turned around to help Travis.

"How are you holding up?" She asked, quickly entering a new fight.

"Oh, you know," Travis answered. "Obviously you're doing well. Definitely see the relation to Percy."

"I try," Adelphie laughed. "Good thing we're a duo tonight, right?"

"ADELPHIE! TRAVIS!" Greg yelled, heading straight towards the fighting pair.

"Watch out!" Travis yelled, pushing Adelphie down. The Ares child's sword just missed her. Adelphie took the new opportunity to knock both boys off their feet. Travis took them out, knocking them unconscious.

"Nice work, Addie," Travis said, helping her to her feet.

"Addie?"

"No offense, but your name's a mouthful. And since you get to call me Trav, I should have a nickname for you, should I?"

"I like it," Adelphie smiled. "Nico told me Percy was trying to give me a nickname. Addie works for me." The two hurried over to meet Greg, who had the flag wrapped in a bundle in his arms.

"Hurry to base," Greg said. "Me, Charlie, Hailey, and Connor have got you. Just run."

"Got it," Travis said. "Addie, let me take the flag. You're the better fighter and we both know it."

"I was just going to suggest that," she said. The two bolted off to the base, adrenaline building in their veins. _We're going to win!_ She thought, a smile spreading across her face.

"Watch out, Adelphie!" Helia yelled, shooting a flaming arrow at an Ares child. The fire incapacitated its target.

"Thanks, Helia!" Adelphie called over her shoulder, running faster to keep up with Travis.

_Ten more yards_, Travis thought. _Just ten more yards, and we'll win. _He hurried along, eager to claim victory for his cabin.

Out of the corner of her eye, Adelphie noticed her guard falling to the ground, and a swordsman dashing towards her. She knew who it was: Percy.

"Helia!" She yelled, jerking her head towards Travis.

"I'm on it!" Helia replied, breaking into a run to catch up with Travis.

Adelphie stood her ground, sword ready to face her cousin. The two weapons clashed, and Adelphie couldn't help but feel that she was in sword practice.

"I see you're doing well," Percy said. "But there's no way you're going to win."

"You keep telling yourself that," Adelphie replied, parrying his blows. "You trained me yourself, Percy. I'm an even match for you."

"Which is why I'm fighting _you_," he said. "Who's guarding Travis now?"

"Helia. She's good."

"What good is a bow and arrow for close-range fighting?"

"Travis is armed, too. And Nico will help."

"Addie!" Travis yelled then, back to back to back with Helia and Nico, surrounded by Athena and Ares kids.

"That flag will never reach base," Percy said. "You put up quite a good game, Adelphie."

"I'm not done yet," Adelphie said. With a good feint, she struck Percy on the head, and he fell unconscious. After making sure he was okay, Adelphie hurried to help her friends.

"Take the flag!" Nico yelled, throwing it over enemy head's to his cousin's outstretched arms. "We'll be fine!"

"RUN, ADELPHIE!" Connor yelled behind her, back on his feet. "I'VE GOT YOU!"

The flag in one hand and sword held high in the other, Adelphie bolted for the base, where she was pleased to see that the enemy team hadn't gotten their flag. Triumphantly, she touched the base, and the flag in her arms changed to a dark color with a lightning bolt. She had won the game.

Helia and Travis, free from the enemy circle, hurried over to Adelphie. Travis picked her up and spun her around while Helia jumped up and down in excitement.

"You won! You won you won you won!" Helia cheered.

"You did it, Addie! That was the best thing I've ever seen!" Travis added.

"It was a team effort," Adelphie said, hoping to get out of the spotlight.

"Gods, Adelphie, that was _brilliant_!" Connor yelled. He and his brother lifted the girl onto their shoulders. "Zeus is victorious!"

"As are Hermes, Apollo, Hades, and Demeter," Adelphie said. "We all won!"

"Excellent flag passing," Travis said to Nico, who had just joined them.

"You all were good with it," Nico said. "From Connor to Greg, then to you and finally little Miss Adelphie. Nice job, cuz. You totally kicked Percy's butt!"

"You're just a prodigy, aren't you?" Travis teased.

"I try," Adelphia laughed with fake arrogance.

"We get best shower times for two weeks now!" Helia cheered. "This has been the best capture the flag in who knows how long! Whoops, gotta run, Max wants to talk to me."

"Have fun!" Adelphie called after her. "Can you two put me down now? I can walk."

"No way," Connor said. "We are going to parade you to your cabin!"

"Trav," she begged.

"Oh, just stay off your feet for a little bit, will ya?" Travis laughed. "You can walk tomorrow."

"Fine," Adelphie said, subjecting herself to a parade thrown by the Hermes kids. They carried Adelphie around all the cabins, laughing when they passed those who had lost. She couldn't help but get caught in their high spirits. By the time the Stoll twins dropped her off at her cabin, she knew she wouldn't fall asleep for hours.

Travis stayed a few extra minutes to wish her good night. "Adelphie, seriously, that was a great game. Very well-played."

"Thanks," Adelphie said. "We should be a duo again next time. We were pretty good together, weren't we?"

"I wasn't anywhere near as good as you. You took down those two Ares kids, and one of the ones on me, and even Percy. I never knew you were _that_ good with a sword."

"You were really good, too. I was watching you every time you were fighting. You're pretty good, and _really _stealthy."

"Family trait."

"Sword fighting's a family trait, too."

"Anyways, you were brilliant. _We _were brilliant. And yeah, we should totally team up again next time."

"I can't wait to play again!"

"Go to bed, Addie," Travis said, seeing her give a huge yawn. "I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast, okay?"

"Okay," Adelphie replied. "Good night, Travis." She gave her best friend a hug.

"Good night, Addie," Travis said. "Sleep well."

"You, too." With one last smile, she turned and walked into her cabin, ready for bed.


End file.
